Jalgaon: Stone Thrown At Train Headed To Prayagraj For Maha Kumbh, Video Shows Shattered Window

Jalgaon News: The passengers of Tapti Ganga Express train carrying pilgrims to the Maha Kumbh witnessed a stone thrown at coach B6, shattering a windowpane.

In a video, a passenger onboard the Tapti Ganga Express train appealed to railway authorities for enhanced safety measures during nighttime journeys.

Source : Rajesh Tripathi

Jalgaon News: A stone was thrown at the Surat-Chhapra-bound Tapti Ganga Express train carrying passengers to the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj near Jalgaon railway station in Maharashtra. The incident involving unidentified individuals left a windowpane of coach B6 shattered, though no injuries were reported.  

Videos shared by passengers on social media highlighted the damage, showing a broken windowpane. One of the passengers appealed to the railway authorities to ensure passenger safety during nighttime journeys.  

"Today we have left for Prayagraj from Surat Udhna. Today is 12th January. All the passengers are with us. At least 3 km ahead of Jalgaon, a stone was thrown by some anti-social elements. We request the Railway Minister to provide security to us," a passenger in the affected coach said as he showed the damaged window.

Train coming from Surat to Prayagraj attacked by miscreants in Jalgaon , these all pilgrims were travelling for Mahakumbh. How long since we can expect heavy punishment for such acts?

Train Details

Taptiganga express
19045@narendramodi @AshwiniVaishnaw @RailMinIndia… pic.twitter.com/xTEBiSBb6Z

— गौतमीपुत्र सत्कर्णी (@gautmiputra) January 12, 2025

Other passengers also documented the aftermath of the attack, sharing videos of the broken window on social media.  

According to the Railway Police, the attack occurred shortly after the Tapti Ganga Express departed from Jalgaon station. A case has been registered against unidentified individuals and no arrests have been made so far.  

According to news agency IANS, Railway Police Force Inspector Gyaneshwar Patil informed, "The incident should not be regarded as stone pelting. Train number 19045 down Surat-Chhapra Express arrived at 2:02 PM today on platform number 2. After the train departed at 2:17 PM, it traveled a short distance, approximately 16-17 coaches ahead from the platform. At that moment, a stone was thrown from the left side by an individual, hitting the window of the train."

Jalgaon, Maharashtra: On incident of stone pelting was reported at Tapi Ganga Express traveling from Surat to Chapra in Jalgaon, RPF Inspector Gyaneshwar Patil says, "The incident should not be regarded as stone pelting. Train number 19045 down Surat-Chhapra Express arrived at… pic.twitter.com/zwgAAOYYu9

— IANS (@ians_india) January 12, 2025

He informed that the RPF attended to the train and found that there were no injuries in the incident. Inspector Patil also said that he visited the spot and no clues have been found while a case has been registered and a probe is underway.

Passengers Heading To Maha Kumbh 2025

The majority of the passengers on the Tapti Ganga Express train were heading to Prayagraj to attend the Maha Kumbh for a holy dip. "Incidents of stone-pelting on trains in this region have been increasing," railway police officials stated. Efforts to locate the culprits, including patrolling the tracks, have not yielded results. Officials plan to launch a new initiative involving local villagers and their sarpanches to identify those responsible and prevent such incidents in the future.

The incident comes as Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched several key initiatives on Sunday to prepare Indian Railways for the Maha Kumbh, which begins in Prayagraj on Monday. The railways aim to provide safe, smooth, and technologically advanced services for the millions of pilgrims expected to join the massive gathering over the next 45 days.

Among the initiatives are the establishment of a 24x7 Kumbh War Room, the installation of CCTV cameras at all nearby stations, the implementation of a multilingual communication system, and the opening of additional ticket counters, news agency PTI reported citing a statement.  

A state-of-the-art war room has been set up at nine stations in the Prayagraj region, equipped with advanced technology to facilitate effective coordination between district authorities and railway officials. This will ensure immediate assistance and operational efficiency during the Kumbh Mela.

To enhance the experience for pilgrims, a 12-language announcement system has been inaugurated at Prayagraj, Naini, Cheoki, and Subedarganj stations. Additionally, a facilitation booklet in 22 languages has been prepared to disseminate essential information to the pilgrims.